Gunships rake women and children shielding militia

children, here today. Heavy casualties were inflicted.

The gunships went into action after Pakistani and US troops had come

under attack.

A UN military spokesman said the women and children were acting as a

''human shield'' for a large force of Somali gunmen, which was moving

among them to ambush peace-keeping troops. The clash happened on

Mogadishu's notorious October 21st Road.

Somali residents said more than 100 Somalis were killed or wounded in

the fighting, which lasted for three hours. This casualty toll estimate

could not be confirmed, and similar local reports in the past have been

heavily exaggerated.

UN officials said that a Pakistani soldier was killed and five

Pakistanis and three US soldiers were wounded in the ambush, in which a

force of 135 US and Pakistani troops was attacked by scores of gunmen.

The force had been trying to remove barricades from October 21st Road,

which is a hunting ground for militiamen loyal to the fugitive warlord,

Mohammed Farah Aideed.

Two Cobra attack helicopters flew in to relieve them, firing 20mm

canons.

By that time one armoured vehicle in the UN column of five had been

hit by a 106mm canon shell fired by militiamen. It was set on fire and

destroyed.

Major David Stockwell, the UN military spokesman, told reporters that

women and children swarming around the soldiers' vehicles were regarded

by the US helicopters as ''armed or not being combatants, and posing an

imminent threat against our soldiers''.

Those attacking the UN column were moving amongst the civilians, a

tactic they have been accused of employing in past attacks, Major

Stockwell said.

''It was apparent from the air what their intentions were,'' he said.

''I understand it was a sizable militia force and casualties on the

Somali side, among the militias, were sizable as well.''

He added: ''It's entirely possible women and children could have been

killed.''

The incident was the worst since seven Nigerian UN troops were killed

in the same district last Sunday by militiamen, also believed to be

supporters of Aideed.

UN officials said the Cobra gunships fired canon at targets on the

ground around a derelict cigarette factory. It was there that 24

Pakistani soldiers were killed on June 5, in a massacre that put Aideed

on the UN's wanted list for murder.

The clash started in the middle of the afternoon when the UN force

moved into the area, from which Italian units are

due to withdraw tomorrow to positions north of the city.

At nightfall, the UN forces withdrew from the October 21st area and

the gunfire died down. But youths set up barricades along the Afgoi road

outside the fortress where many troops from the 25,000-strong UN force

are based.

Pakistani and US officials were negotiating with elders from clans

loyal to Aideed to allow a smooth handover by the Italians to troops

from other contingents in the 28-nation force when the fighting began,

political sources said.

The Italians are moving out of Mogadishu after a row in June and July

in which the UN accused Italian officers of taking orders from Rome

rather than UN commanders.

Italy, whose troops are accused by other contingents of having a

secret pact with Aideed and of failing to help the Nigerians massacred

last Sunday, objects to the UN's campaign of force to track down Aideed

and put him on trial.

The death of one Pakistani soldier today brings the number of UN

combat deaths to 48 since the start of an operation which was launched

to save Somalia from famine and lawlessness.

No official UN totals for Somali deaths during the unrest exist, and

UN reports are often disputed by aid workers, but estimates put them at

well over 200. Five journalists have also been killed by Somalis in the

city. -- Reuter.